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CHAPTER 6 - TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT
The direction included in this chapter has been developed through the coordinated efforts of
Regions 1, 2, 3, and 4. This coordination was initiated by the leadership of each Region under the concept of shared services. All four Regions must concur on future changes to the direction.
Users of information in this handbook must be familiar with the parent information in FSM
2476.
6.05 - Definitions.
Definitions for silvicultural practices and systems are found in FSM 2470.5 - Definitions. The accepted reference list of definitions can be found in Volume 1 of Terminology of Forest
Service, Technology, Practice and Products edited by F.C. Ford-Robertson (Volume 1) produced by the Society of American Foresters 1971. There is a current effort to define and update terminology, but to date it has not been finalized. A draft copy of this work is available from
Regional Silviculturists. Terminology and definitions used in this handbook are defined using the FSM and Volume 1. All practitioners in timber stand improvement should use these for activities conducted on National Forest System lands.
6.1 - INVENTORY AND PLANS.
Timber stand improvement includes any intermediate treatment, commercial or precommercial, after establishment and before the final harvest to improve composition, structure, condition, value, and increment of the stand. Timber stand improvement is an important part of managing timber stands to achieve management goals and objectives for forest vegetation. Knowledge in the following areas is important to implementing timber stand improvement activities:
1. Timber stand composition and structure.
2. Ecological and historical character of individual trees and timber stands, including genetic factors.
3. Methods of treatment and potential results.
4. Existing and potential markets available and economic feasibilities.
5. Possible destructive agents.
6.11 - Timber Stand Improvement Process.
Exhibit 01 displays the proper process for identifying, developing, planning, and accomplishing a timber stand improvement project.

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6.11 - Exhibit 01
Assessment
â
Range Of Choices
â
Environmental Analysis
â
â
Alternatives Not Economically or Environmentally Acceptable
Preferred Alternative
â
Final Silvicultural Prescription
â
Financing (KV, R&SI, Other)
â
Contract or Force Account
â
Contract Preparation
â
Advertise Contract
â
Pre-Bid Showing
â
Award Contract
â
Report Accomplishment
â
Pre-Work Conference
â
Mark Sample Area
â
Inspection Of Work
â
Payment Of Contractor
â
Final Acceptance
â
Follow-up Slash Treatment
â
Reporting and Recording
â
Monitor Treatments
â
Determine Size of Crew
â
Determine Equip. Needs
â
Job Hazard Analysis
â
Description Of Job
â
Job Show-Me Trip
â
Mark Sample Area
â
Inspection Of Job
â
Final Acceptance
â
Report Accomplishment
â
Follow-up Slash Treatment
â
Reporting and Recording
â
Monitor Treatments

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6.12 - Silvicultural Examination and Prescription.
Basic information about a stand is needed before a silvicultural prescription can be made (see regional supplement to chapter 8, Users Guide for the Rocky Mountain Resource System
(RMRIS) for Regions 2, 3, and 4; and Timber Management Control Handbook for Region 1).
Use Use these inventories as an aid in prescribing the methods, technique, and timing of initial and subsequent treatments to meet Land Management Plan objectives. The prescription should also describe the consequences of feasible alternatives including chemical treatments. The requirements of a silvicultural prescription are contained in regional supplements to chapter 8.
Each Forest shall maintain an inventory of areas requiring timber stand improvement (TSI) activities. All of these stands must have been examined, analyzed by an interdisciplinary team, and had the collected data processed.
6.14 - Coordination.
All timber stand improvement work must conform with the Forest Land Management Plan.
Prior to undertaking any timber stand improvement project, an environmental analysis and/or assessment must be completed in advance of implementation. These projects are often included in assessments for timber sales. Herbicide projects may require separate assessments and plans
(FSM 2151 and 2153.2).
The use of herbicides and chemical silvicides for control of undesirable plants requires careful planning and coordination with states, other federal agencies, and affected permittees. Such proposals must develop public understanding and, at the same time, ensure that all resources are appropriately coordinated (FSM 2140.30).
Thinning normally produces heavy fuel loads and must be coordinated with Fire, Aviation, and
Air Management.
Resource coordination through the Forest Service NEPA process well in advance of the project should prevent conflicts, making the project beneficial to all resources involved. The advanced coordination must include interdisciplinary input from specialists in various affected resources.
Timber stand improvement projects may be planned on any National Forest System lands where land management objectives can be achieved through thinning. Stand treatments designed to improve tree growth for timber production will be supported by traditional appropriated timber stand improvement funding. Treatments made for accomplishing other resource objectives where tree production is not a primary goal will be funded by the benefiting resource.
Benefits to other resources, in addition to increased production of usable wood fiber, include:
1. Increased forage/browse production.
2. Enhanced aesthetic values.
3. Increased production of usable water supply.
4. Reduced fire spread potential.
5. Maintenance of healthy ecosystems.
6. Reduced probability of insect outbreaks.
7. Reduction of tree diseases.

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6.15 - Stand Selection Criteria.
Selecting a stand for thinning is dependent upon the silvicultural characteristics and priorities identified in Forest Land Management Plans. Special recommendations for setting priorities are included in exhibit 01. Consider the following items in selecting stands:
1. Age. Age refers to both the chronological age and the length of time in a competitive status. Ideally, stands should be thinned at a young age, with the chronological ages ranging from 15 to 30 years. The range in age is principally dependent on the species, site capability, and other factors which contribute to the trees ability to compete for the most limiting environmental factors. Thinning should generally be delayed until trees are expressing their mature growth and quality characteristics and are capable of deterring brush and other site competition by adequate occupancy of the site.
The longer thinning is delayed after competition among trees begins, the greater is the unrealized usable production. Tree growth begins to be reduced by competition well before the competition becomes readily apparent. For instance, in Douglas-fir, by the time lower branches start dying, competition is already quite advanced.
It will be necessary to compare the actual stocking rate to the density necessary to achieve a commercial size objective. This comparison may be necessary when there is a small number of trees per acre, but the first commercially marketable product is relatively large in size. For example; a ponderosa pine stand which is growing on a Douglas-fir/ninebark habitat type has a stocking rate of 220 3-inch trees per acre. That stocking should result in the production of 9-inch to 10-inch trees before moisture competition occurs. That stocking rate would result in severe competition and mortality occurring over a long period of time if markets changed and a 14-inch to 15-inch diameter tree was necessary for a first marketable product.
If initial stocking two to three years after disturbance is excessive (10-40 thousand trees per acre) weeding and cleaning may be needed by age 4-5 if high precommercial thinning costs are to be avoided.
2. Crown Ratio or Crown Percent. The crown area development is often an expression of the competitive stature of a tree within a stand. Tolerant species are more capable of maintaining large crowns even in low-light levels if all other factors are not limiting. Intolerant species lose lower needles more rapidly from competition for light, with all other factors not limiting. Trees, however, naturally tend to lose crown area with increasing age.
Within each species, there is an inherent capability for production of photosynthetic surface area.
This surface, primarily the needle area in conifers, will remain relatively constant on a site resulting in diminished overall crown lengths in denser stands. The crown area length in relation to the total tree height is expressed as a ratio or percent. For example; a tree 50 feet in total height with a live crown length of 30 feet has 60 percent crown ratio. For the best thinning response, crown ratios should be greater than 40 percent of the total bole length, preferably greater than 1/2 the length. In some stands with a high density and young age (5-20 years old), thinning when crown ratios are 25-35 percent may be appropriate.
Tolerance is expressed below for the most common species in the Regions. The most tolerant species utilize the photosynthates at lower light levels and higher levels of root competition than more intolerant species. Most species become less tolerant with age.
Very Tolerant
Pacific Yew
Tolerant
Engelmann
Intermediate
Blue spruce
Intolerant
Apache pine
Very Intolerant
Alpine larch

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Subalpine fir
Western Red
Cedar
Western
Hemlock
spruce
Grand fir
Incense-cedar
Mountain
hemlock
Red fir
White fir
White spruce
Douglas-fir
Sugar pine
Western white
pine
Chihuahua pine
Jeffery pine
Junipers
Limber pine
Lodgepole pine
Pinyon pine
Ponderosa pine
Southwestern
white pine
Bristlecone pine
Cottonwoods
Quaking aspen
Subalpine larch
Western larch
Whitebark pine
3. Stand Density. The benefits of thinning increase as initial density or number of stems per acre increase. Overstocking results in stands either not reaching merchantable sizes or reaching them very slowly, especially on lower productivity lands (site classes V, VI, and VII)
(Exhibit 01). High productivity lands will nearly always produce merchantable volume without major reductions in density. First priority for precommercial thinning should be given to young stands on lower productive sites that are overdense. These stands are those which would seldom produce merchantable volume without thinning. It is because little value comes from the stands without thinning that nearly all the volume gain; hence, economic value is attributable to the precommercial thinning. If stand density is so high that conventional thinning methods are economically unfeasible consideration should be give to stand replacement. The methods for stand replacement should consider the use of prescribed fire.
A primary gain from precommercial thinning is a shortening of the time a stand must be carried before it is commercially thinned. Generally, the longer the time required for trees to reach commercial size without thinning, the greater the gain from precommercial thinning. This is accomplished by placing the growth on the trees which will reach commercial size and eventually producing the final crop trees.
More usable biomass is captured by completing precommercial thinnings on the young, less dense stands than on the older larger stands. When density is combined with the relative age of the stand, it becomes readily apparent that older overdense stands create a larger volume of slash than a younger less dense stand.
6.15 - Exhibit 01
Stand Selection Criteria
Site Productivity Class Table
Potential Productivity
Cubic Feet/Acre/Year
0-19
20-49
50-84
85-119
120-164
165-224
225-500
Site Class
VII
VI
V
IV
III
II
I

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4. Height - Diameter. Both height and diameter provide a relative expression of the chronological age of a stand. Many species have varying height growth patterns that can be determined in yield tables, site index, and height growth curves. In many cases, these curves will allow the prediction of the potential height and diameter within a specific timeframe. Thus, in young stands, the point of culmination of annual height growth can be determined. Gains from thinning decline very rapidly after this point of culmination.
Percentage gains in mean annual increment (m.a.i.) of useable volume due to precommercial thinnings are closely related to site quality. Percentage gains from precommercial thinning, within limits, increase markedly with decreasing site quality. The resulting absolute gains in useable mean annual increment also increases with decreasing site quality to site class V.
If precommercial thinning is not done until leave trees are about 30 feet or 20 percent of its rotation height, the opportunity to make potential gains in growth response may no longer be possible. Leave trees should also be within plus or minus 25 percent of the average diameter for all leave trees within that portion of the treated stand. Excessively dominant large diameter of
"wolf-trees" should not be left as part of the leave stand. These trees, excessive dominants, poorly utilize the site, often having extremely long limbs of large size which occupy two to three times the crown area of normal dominant or co-dominant trees. Where other resource consideration dominate the management practices or objectives in a stand, retention of the wolf trees may be necessary or desirable.
Lodgepole pine stands often require that no thinning be accomplished until they are at least 15 feet in height unless the density is so great that trees begin self prunning. Any other precocious seed producers should be similarly treated. A re-invasion or release of undergrowth shrubs, brush, or small trees can also be severe competition, especially when moisture is the most limiting factor for growth. This is to reduce competition due to re-establishment of seedlings.
Super dense stands left unthinned will lose their growth (diameter and height) potential to respond to thinning.
Diameter of material being thinned is a very important consideration in determining the volume and type of fuel hazard created. Excessive amounts of slash and the relatively short period of time until the tree reaches commercial size should limit thinning to stands with average stand diameter less than 5 inches dbh. The most desirable stands to thin would be those of less than 3 inches in average stand diameter, before thinning.
5. Site Quality. Site quality is the sum of all the environmental factors that determine the productivity of a forest land area. Indirect methods of measuring these environmental factors are site index and vegetation classification systems. The most typical vegetation classification system is the habitat type.
Site index, when properly obtained from dominant trees, is an expression of site productivity especially the height attainable. Overdense stands, especially intolerant species, will not grow to their full height. Therefore, the site's true potential would not be indicated.
When overdense stands or young stands exist on the site, the vegetational classification system of Daubenmire's habitat types will provide a rapid approximation of the site's productive capability.
While the common approach has been to invest production dollars on the highest quality sites, percentage gains from precommercial thinnings increase markedly with decreasing site quality through site classes IV and V. This results because the gain in usable mean annual increment attributable for the thinning increases with decreasing site quality. Poorer quality sites have a number of limiting silvicultural or environmental factors. When these factors are not affected,

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Page 7 of 29 through reductions in densities, the resultant stand cannot produce commercial products except over long time periods, occasionally not at all. High site quality stands nearly always produce commercial products, even with high densities.
6. Vigor. This factor is a relative expression normally associated with trees in the main or dominant story of the stand. Attributes normally used to describe vigor are terminal elongation and needle color, size, and length. Tree vigor often aids in the evaluation of the leave stands ability to dominate the site through response to a decrease in any of the limiting factors.
The rate of leader growth or the distance between internodes provides an excellent measure to the release potential of the site. Elongation of the crown area provides the greatest carbohydrate production potential for height and diameter growth.
The position of a tree's crown in relation to trees adjacent to it provides the best overall assessment of a tree's capability to respond to reductions in density. Kraft's even-aged crown classification system portrays the crown of a tree in relation to the exposure to sunlight and relative height within the stand. The classifications are: a. Dominant Trees. Dominant trees are somewhat above the general level of the canopy and are exposed to full sunlight from above and to a certain extent laterally.
"Wolf Trees" are coarse, heavy-limbed, broad-crowned trees that have usually developed with a lack of lateral, co-dominant competition. Wolf trees are undesirable in a stand from a timber management standpoint. These trees may be desireable for other resource considerations. b. Co-Dominant-Trees. Co-dominant trees are not as tall as dominants, with crowns receiving overhead light. They may be confined laterally by dominants and usually make up the main canopy with the dominants. c. Intermediate Trees. Intermediate trees are definitely subordinate in position receiving direct sunlight only through holes in the canopy. All trees of this class are subject to strong lateral competition. d. Suppressed Trees. Suppressed trees are definitely overtopped with no free overhead light. Commonly weak and slow growing. e. Dead Trees. Self-explanatory.
Stand leave trees should normally be selected from dominant and co-dominant crown classes especially in precommercial stand sizes. When necessary, intermediate crown classes may be left to maintain crown coverage and site occupancy if no others are available or if a specific species is desired to meet other resource concerns. Suppressed trees will seldom respond to thinning and should not be selected as leave trees.
Tolerant species (6.15, item 2), when overtopped or overdense, may have thin bark and a well developed "shade leaf" crown. Sudden exposure of trees in these stands to light through removal of an overstory and thinning can result in "sunburning" or "sunscald" of the bole and loss of needles. This normally causes diminished growth and delayed site occupancy or death.
Occasionally, mortality may be high in these stands if other stressful environmental conditions, such as aspect, coincide with the induced stress of treatment. "Sunburning" is necrosis caused by excessive heating of the cambial tissue under the thin bark, which often results in flattened sides, bark sluffing, and poor wood quality.

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Grand fir stands more than 30 years of age that have been suppressed and released through logging should not be thinned until 2 to 5 years after release. This will allow an assessment of release ability to occur. Grand fir will not respond to thinning when crown ratios are below 40 percent.
7. Stand Damage. This single element often holds the key to the final selection of a stand for thinning. All potential insect and disease hazards in the stand proposed for thinning must be evaluated or rated.
Thinning is often an effective method of reducing current losses from insects and disease in young stands. It is also an effective method of controlling insects in the future. The general vigor of the stand will be improved by thinning, and the ability to overcome insects, such as the western and mountain pine beetle, will be increased. Changes of environment within the stand, especially the increase in temperatures within the stand, appears to be detrimental to a number of insects.
Thinning under an overstory infected with dwarf mistletoe should not be done. Early removal of the affected overstory, preferably by commercial sales, will benefit the stand. When thinning in stands infected with dwarf mistletoe, it will be necessary to preprogram several follow-up inspections and possibly some additional treatments to deal with latent infections that becomes visible 3 to 5 years after the initial treatment. Hawksworth's 6-class dwarf mistletoe rating system (ex. 02) should be used in programming treatments for dwarf mistletoe infected stands.
6.15 - Exhibit 02
Hawksworth 6-Class Mistletoe Rating System
INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1. Divide live crown into thirds. below.
(0) No visible infections.
(1) Light infection (1/2 or less of total number of branches in the third infected.)
/\
/ \
/ \ If this third has no visible
_________/_______\__________
STEP 2. Rate each third separately.
Each third should be given a rating of 0, 1 or 2 as described
/ 0 \
/ \
/ 1 \
/ \ infections, its rating is (0)
If this third is lightly infected, its rating is (1)
_ ____/__________\________
/ \
/ 2 \
/ \
/____________\
EXAMPLE
If this third is heavily infected, its rating is (2)
(2) Heavy infection (more than 1/2 of total number of branches in the third
| |
| |
| |
The tree in this example will receive a rating of
0 + 1 + 2 = 3. infected.)
STEP 3. Finally, add ratings of thirds to obtain rating for total tree.
| |
/ \
The 6-class mistletoe rating system (Hawksworth 1961).

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The level of infection and site productivity must be considered when prioritizing stands with dwarf mistletoe infections. Better site indices should be given a higher priority because of greater potential volume growth. As the mistletoe ratings increase, the priority for thinning should decrease. Stands with a rating class of 2 or less with infections in the lower crown will benefit from thinning and may produce acceptable yields.
Rust and gall infected stands can be substantially improved by careful selection of leave trees.
Commonly, some trees within the stand have a genetic resistance to these pathogens. The apparent rate of resistance and lack of galls should be considered in prioritizing these stands for treatment.
The species susceptibility to current insect or disease problems should be evaluated. Many mixed stands contain nonhost species which could be featured in management to help eliminate or control the pathogen or insect.
The development of infection entry points must be considered when prioritizing stands for treatment. Commercial thinnings or removal of salvage materials must consider the scarring, limb breakage, season of the year, and other circumstances creating rust or fungal entry points.
True firs are very suscepible to various rots. Treatment types which increase this susceptibility must be given a low priority.
Timing of thinning operations is essential in many stands. Insect populations such as ips can build up rapidly in slash. By creating a "green chain" of slash, this problem may be avoided.
This often means attracting the insects into down materials until winter when freezing and drying kills the overwintering larval stage. There are situations in Arizona and New Mexico when the
"green chain" is not effective because winters are not severe enough to kill ips broods. In these situations control is provided by limiting the amount of slash (brood material) in any one location. Specific insects or disease treatments should be discussed with an entomologist or pathologist.
8. Management Objectives. The items above are the principal silvicultural considerations that should be weighed in stand selection for thinning. Silviculture properly applied requires that the stand capabilities be utilized to meet management objectives. The following objectives further set priorities on stands selected for thinning and other treatments. a. Species Composition. The species selected may have considerable influence on insect and disease susceptibility, potential production, economic demand, and legal or administrative constraints.
Stands of higher valued species will normally show a greater return for the investment of thinning funds than low value species (all other considerations being equal). While current price or demand must have a greater weight than future price/demand considerations, the future should be weighed when considering relative priorities between species. Continued increases in demand for fiber in the form of chips will not only change the type of output from the various stands, but could change the price/market structure changing demands from species having high quality sawtimber to a dual production species having moderately good wood structure and fiber quality. This demand picture must be reviewed with the emphasis on the local demand or market area.
Ability to alter output rates and types must be evaluated in relation to the overall stand management objective. The ability to produce a mixture of species is often desired to maintain vigor over time and reduce susceptibility to damaging agents.

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Biologically, many species may be produced on one habitat type, but a seral species may be more productive than the climax species. Species composition often needs to be controlled for management purposes. Caution needs to be exercised, however, in some species because basic biological reactions tend to exclude certain species because of competitive interactions.
Diversity of the wildlife species inhabiting a stand is directly affected by its composition. Wildlife habitat objectives may require a broad array of species to meet stand management objectives. b. Plans. Management plans, objectives, and constraints often impose thinning priorities such as spacing, area of treatment, or timing. These constraints should be considered when setting priorities for expenditures. The objectives and constraints will normally be found in the silvicultural prescription for the stand or area.
Management plans also place priorities on areas of treatment to meet planned harvest objectives. These planned harvest objectives may have included economical efficiency in their initial determination of need and, as such, may have programed certain management types to be treated over a specific time period.
Some stands are predesignated for thinning by Forest plans rather than silvical priorities. They are set aside to meet future timber management output objectives or other resource objectives. These targeted areas are first priority in a management schedule.
9. Disturbance Regimes (Fire). In addition to stand level silvicultural characteristics and identified land management objectives, stand selection criteria should consider concepts of disturbance ecology from a stand and landscape perspective. Understanding of past, current, and potential future fire regimes for example, can give us clues to sustainable desired conditions in terms of composition and structure of stands and landscapes. An understanding of historical fire regimes can give us a clue to the frequency and instensity of fire, the type of stand and landscape structures that were developed, and possible wildlife habitat that was maintained over time. This knowledge can then be used to help define desired stand and landscape conditions to be developed over time as we prepare site specific silvicultural prescriptions. Understanding how and where fire regimes influenced past composition and structure should aid in setting priorities for current TSI treatments.
10. Economics. Similar stands are often in need of thinning. An analysis should be conducted to rank stands so that the greatest return is realized for each dollar invested. Analysis of these treatments should be included in Land Management Plans, Environmental
Assessments/Impact Statements, and/or final silvicultural prescriptions. The most current applicable technique for conducting an economic analysis is to be used.
After analysis is completed, implementors of these stand treatment activities will need to evaluate and select the most cost efficient means for completing the activities. Consideration will include: available funding; contract versus force account; administration costs; move in and out costs; season of work; coordination with resource values and uses; and methods to be used.
11. Review of the Stand Selection Process. The following is a description of an approach to developing priorities for thinning using the stand selection criteria developed above.
While the stand selection criteria basically is divided into two segments, not all segments must be considered in making the stand selection. The priorities are provided as a logic pattern to help

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Page 11 of 29 order a complex program of scheduling. The questions that are outlined below, when answered, should provide a ranking of stands for thinning. a. Age. Has competition between trees developed? Have the trees in the stand begun to express growth and quality characteristics (Phenotypic)? Are the trees old or excessively stagnant? b. Crown Ratio. Is there sufficient crown present to immediately respond to density reduction? Must the foliage go through adjustment? Can more crown be added? c. Density. Can the stand reach commercial size without significantly extending the time needed to achieve the projected size at the end of a typical rotation? What will be the volume of fuel created in unutilized wood fiber? Is the stand too dense and of such poor quality as to not achieve an expression of dominance? d. Height-Diameter. Is the variation in diameter in the leave trees greater than plus or minus 25 percent? Has the stand differentiated in height? Are trees past the point of culmination of mean annual and periodic increment? e. Site Class. Does the habitat type capability indicate that stagnation is common for the density present? f. Vigor. Is the dominance freely expressed with extreme variations present in the upper 1/3 of the crown in internode elongation? Will the trees continue to grow at a rate that will capture the site and control competing vegetation? g. Stand Damage. What insects and diseases are present? What are the future problems with insects and diseases that could be triggered by treatment of the stand? h. Species Composition. What species will provide the best future returns? Is there a need to favor a certain species or species mixes for insect and disease purposes? i. Plans. Is the area included as a priority treatment within the Forest Land
Management Plan? Is stand density or composition controlled by some other resource constraint? Must scheduling be delayed or the intensity for treatment reduced? j. Disturbance Regimes (Fire). Is the stand composition and structure close to the historic range given the typical historical fire regime on the site? If not, is this stand condition likely to lead to a sustainable stand and landscape condition in terms of the current or projected future fire regime? Is the stand so large as to create problems with fire, other resources, or future forest mamagement activities? k. Economics. Which of the selected stands to be treated will provide the best benefit-cost ratio or has the best present net worth?
This list of questions is incomplete and is only provided to stimulate the analysis procedure used in stand selection.
6.16 - Project Development.
1. Area Layout. Area layout consists of four basic steps: (1) check the approved
Environmental Analysis or assessment and silvicultural examination to ascertain the general

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Page 12 of 29 boundaries of the area and to ensure specific coordination measures are incorporated into the project; (2) locate and mark boundaries of the specific units to be thinned; (3) develop a project map to scale; and (4) determine the acreage of each unit.
The first step is to ensure that the Forest Land Management Plan and the parent or specific project environmental analysis or assessment are being followed. It is also important to ensure the area and timing of your project do not conflict with other resource and timber projects.
Boundary layout should begin next. Maps, aerial photos with the boundaries of each prescription unit to be thinned plainly delineated, and flagging should be taken along and used to layout the area on ground. If transmission lines, roads, or trails are used as boundaries, make sure that they are correct on your maps and photos. These features sometimes change between the time the maps were made or aerial photos were taken. Care should be used in the layout phase to ensure that units are not too large for the available work forces.
Whenever possible, it is best to use topographical or other easily identifiable landmarks as boundaries as this will help in determination of unit acreage.
Once layout is finished and checked, boundaries should be marked plainly with paint or signs to ensure that they are easy to identify during the life of the project.
The next step is to develop a project map. It should contain as a minimum the following: a. Unit name. b. Unit boundary. c. Scale. d. Delineation of slash treatments by area. e. Special restrictions. f. Name of person who made the map. g. Date the map was made.
2. Area Measurement. Area determination can be done by several methods, all of which are appropriate for use in certain areas at certain times. Listed below are four methods that can be used. a. Traversing. This is a method of determining the acreage of a unit. The most commonly used pieces of equipment are a compass with a hip chain, steel tape, or pacing as a distance measuring device. Caution should be used to ensure the equipment is in good working order and that accurate measurements are taken, or traversing can be as inaccurate as any other method and much more misleading.
There are several programmable calculator programs available which will determine the error of closure ratio and acreage of the unit. b. Dot grid or compensating polar planimeter. These two devices are used to calculate areas from an accurate map of the unit. This method should be used only where boundaries are easily located on both aerial photos and maps. The boundaries of the unit are located on aerial photos and then checked. These boundaries are transferred from the photos to the map by means of a "sketchmaster" or similar transposing device. Great care should be used in this step to ensure the recommended number of points are lined up both on the photo and map. When the map is complete

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Page 13 of 29 and checked, a dot-grid or compensating polar planimeter is used to calculate acreage. At least three accurate measurements should be made and averaged to determine the final acreage.
Caution should be used when determining acreage using this method. Check to see that maps and photos are accurate and that the scale of the map is correct. Ensure that dot-grid overlays are correctly printed and that compensating polar planimeters are correctly calibrated. It is also very important to use the proper correction factor to convert to acres, if needed. c. Global Positioning System. In addition to traditional methods of measuring area there is new technolgy available such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
Assistance for using GPS can normally be found in engineering or lands work groups on Districts or Forests. d. Laser Equipment. Lazer equipment available on some units can be used effectively for measuring area. This is new technology with many applications other than distance measurement.
6.17 - Treatment Priority.
Priority for treatments including species preferences should be established by Land Management
Plans, Environmental Analyses/Assessments, and silvicultural prescriptions. Specific direction by Region(s), if applicable, are included in exhibits for this section of the handbook (Region 1 ex. 01).

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6.17 - Exhibit 01
FOREST VEGETATION MANAGEMENT
Timber Stand Improvement, NFFV
A Prioritizing Strategy
Draft - December 1997
Introduction:
The National Forest emphasis for stand improvement activities is described in the
1997 Budget Explanatory Notes for
Committee on Appropriations (USDA Forest
Service, 1997a) and more recently within the
1998 Budget Explanatory Notes for
Committee on Appropriations (USDA Forest
Service, 1997b) before a subcommittee of the
Committee on Appropriations.
" Stand Improvement treatments are essential to maintain a healthy, resilient forest ecosystem for the future. These activities will maintain sufficient timber productivity to meet projected future desired conditions for the sustained management of NFS lands. These activities promote stand health and resiliency that is essential in creating and maintaining the proper species composition, density, and stand structure needed to meet broader landscape or ecological management objectives. These activities are designed to be consistent with environmental, social, and economic benefits and costs."
(USDA Forest Service, 1997b).
Program objectives are best summarized in the Accomplishment and Results Measures
Information for Forestland Vegetation
Management, (USDA Forest Service, 1994),
"To annually reforest areas and conduct timber stand improvement activities to meet forests plan objective and ecosystem management needs..... Reforestation and stand improvement treatments are essential to maintain a healthy, resilient forest ecosystem for the future." Further
"Timber stand improvement treatments will promote stand health and resiliency that is essential in creating and maintaining the proper species composition, density, and stand structure needed to meet broader landscape or ecological management objectives." The management production process, (USDA Forest Service, 1994), states that "both program and project level investments are need to maintain a flow of timber and other resources consistent with forest plans. Timber harvest, reforestation and timber stand improvement projects are used to help sustain diverse and healthy ecosystem from which these resources are obtained. "
"The timber stand improvement (TSI) objective is to improve forest health, vigor and maintain rapid growth. This is essential toward stated management objectives at the stand, landscape, and ecosystem levels. " (USDA Forest Service,
1997b).

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Page 15 of 29
6.17 - Exhibit 01--Continued
Timber Stand Improvement Activities listed within the Timber Stand Management Record
System;
1. Release treatments to provide for the removal of competing vegetation to insure high levels of growth and vigor. TSMRS codes 4511, 4512.
2. Precommercial thinning provide and means of maintaining or improving soil productivity. Note:
Fertilization is currently not planned in the Northern
Region.
Treatment methods in the Northern Region treatment provide the opportunity to regulate stand density, control stand density, reduce standing fuels, control species composition, and alter stand structure to better meet resource management objectives. TSMRS codes 4521,
4522
3. Fuel ladder reduction and controlling understory vegetation to control, deaden or reduce the growth of understory vegetation and
TSMRS codes 4541, 4542.
4. Pruning for improvement of future product quality by producing more clear sound wood or reduce disease intensity. TSMRS code 4530.
5. Fertilization treatment normally involve hand tools, mechanical equipment, and/ or prescribed fire. These stand improvement activities are important for restoring or maintaining forest health and sustainable levels of timber production. As new stands of trees are regenerated, most will need to be released from competing vegetation, and/or thinned to maintain healthy, vigorous stands.
The majority of our treatments are directed to lands within the identified timber suitable land base per the Forest Plan. However, the recent emphasis for ecosystem management and reducing the risk of stand replacement fire on traditionally low intensity high frequency fire regimes has focused a need for stand improvement treatments on unsuitable timber lands as well.
Prioritizing Stand Treatments Page 2

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6.17 - Exhibit 01--Continued
Purpose:
The purpose of this document is to share prioritizing schemes for use in scheduling and
Key considerations for ranking stand improvement treatment areas include the following. These are not an inclusive list that allocating funding for stand improvement activities. This prioritization may be useful to might be considered and they are not listed to imply a priority. assess the target and budget distribution of scarce NFFV, stand improvement funds.
Specific stand priority is established at the access density economics Ranger District and/or Forest level from
Regional and National strategic priorities and direction. growth & vigor management/ resource objectives productivity potential class resilience to fire Discussion:
Stand improvement has a long history of resilience to insects & pathogens species composition stand differentiation timber benefits through controlling species composition, stand density and increasing growth and vigor. With the new direction for stand/ tree phenotype stand and ecosystem health wildlife habitat requirements implementing ecosystem management and concern for accumulating live fuels as it relates to wildfire management, stand improvement has a renewed emphasis.
Stand improvement activities can be a significant tool for influencing stand
These considerations can be key in determining the better areas in which to make investments in stand improvement resources. composition, structure and ecosystem processes. This is especially true for species such as ponderosa pine and western larch.
Without periodic disturbance to reduce stocking, many of these stands will develop into very dense spindly stands and do a poor job of emulating natural or desired conditions
As National Forest priorities change, some of the consideration may take on a new level of emphasis. of stand development.
A system of ranking stands for stand improvement treatment is not intended to replace the requirement for silvicultural diagnosis and detailed prescriptions.
Realistically, no scheme can quantify the variables prominent at the Ranger District for all of the potential areas for stand improvement. The method here is an average of the considerations many program managers find useful in the process of ranking stands for funding.

R3 SUPPLEMENT 2409.17-99-1
EFFECTIVE 3/31/99
2409.17,6-6.17
Page 17 of 29
6.17 - Exhibit 01--Continued
Consideration Description
Access
Density
Productivity
Potential
Access or access timing can be significant in terms of costs or logistics for treatments. Reflected most commonly in unit cost.
A measure of the stems per acre. This may be compared to what is desired at the stand or landscape level.
Economics Return on investments will remain a high criteria for prioritizing.
Benefit/ cost ratios and unit costs are important measures.
Growth & Vigor Maintaining or enhancing growth and vigor is an overall objective of thinning. This may be the top consideration for applying a stand improvement activity.
Management and
Resource
Objectives
All treatments on the national forests shall be designed and implemented to achieve land management objectives. Ecosystem management, and forest health have focused on the broader ecological and social objectives as articulated within the 1997 and 1998 Budget Explanatory
Notes for Committee on Appropriations (USDA FS 1997a, 1997b).
The amount of response trees achieve to treatment is directly related to site quality. A measure of comparison of site productivity is currently cubic feet per acre at culmination of mean annual increment. Also consider the potential for stagnation which may be common on lower potential productivity sites.
Resilience to
Insects &
Pathogens
Certain tree species have greater resistance to insects and pathogens.
Stocking control can feature these species. In other instances, where only susceptible species exist treatments can provide for greater resilience to insects. The relationship of Douglas-fir and spruce budworm is an example.
Resilience to fire Resilience to fire relates to the land management objectives and the desire to prevent stand replacement fire in commonly non-replacing fire regimes, but possibly within replacing fire regimes as well such as within urban interface areas.
Species
Composition
Generally shade intolerant species are featured in the treatments due to the adverse impacts of shade and competition on these species. Also consider the species role in ecosystem function and management goals.
Stand
Differentiation
Stand/ tree
Phenotype
Stand and
Ecosystem Health
Stand differentiation relates to crown ratio, vigor and inter-tree competition as clarified by O'Hara (1993) and Oliver (1990). It is a measure of how well featured trees will compete and express themselves with good vigor, less suscessibility to insects, disease and environmental conditions and provide options for future sustainability and management.
Tree height, size and crown characteristics are examples that fit into this category.
Many health conditions relate to species composition and density, such as spruce budworm and root disease susceptibility. This in turn leads to increasing risk of higher intensity fire.
Wildlife Habitat Wildlife habitat needs can be very broad. Examples includes openness providing for forage on winter range for big game, creating larger diameter trees of specific species or altering tree species composition or density for prey species habitat or improving access to special features such as wallows.

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Page 18 of 29
6.17 - Exhibit 01--Continued
Prioritizing schemes:
Two prioritizing schemes for stand improvement activities are summarized in the appendix A &
B. The Lolo(et al) NF method in appendix A, and the Kootenai NF method in appendix B. The
Lolo (et al) NF method is patterned after the Kootenai method, expanding it with considerations for economics and ecosystem health. The categories, ecosystem management, growth and yield and economics are currently separate prioritization schemes.
The Lolo Forest National Forest Plan (1986) specifies that stands will undergo stocking level control when;
1.
Necessary to meet resource management goals, such as wildlife and visual;
2.
Necessary to obtain future stand yields......an economic evaluation will be used to determine the highest priority stands for treatment;
3. Necessary to protect stands from fire, insects, or disease;
REFERENCES
O'Hara, Kevin L. & Oliver, Chadwick Dearing. 1993. Decision Key for Prioritizing Precommercial Thinning Treatments on the Cle Elum and Naches Districts of the Wenatchee
National Forest. From personal correspondance of Kevin O'Hara, School of Forestry,
University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812. 27 pages.
Oliver, Chadwick D. & Larson, Bruce C. 1990. Forest Stand Dynamics. McGraw, Hill Inc.
467 pages.
USDA Forest Service 1986. Lolo National Forest Plan. Lolo National Forest, Fort Missoula.
USDA Forest Service 1994. Accomplishment & Results Measures Information. 11/18/94,
Washington Office, pages 40-43.
USDA, Forest Service, 1996. Kootenai National Forest TSI Project (Stand) Ranking System.
Forest Silviculturist 2470 memo dated April 14, 1988, updated in 1996.
USDA Forest Service 1997a. 1997 Budget Explanatory Notes for Committee on
Appropriations.
Washington Office publication.
USDA Forest Service 1997b. 1998 Budget Explanatory Notes for Committee on
Appropriations. In Hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
US House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, First Session. Part 3, pages
99-103
Prioritizing Stand Treatments Page 5

2409.17,6-6.17
Page 19 of 29
6.17 Exhibit - 01--Continued
Appendix A.
Lolo (et al) National Forest
Stand Improvement Ranking System
Three ranking categories allow one to visualize ranking within the each category without the masking effects of combining the categories. This is useful in assessing different management objectives and conditions as priorities change.
ECONOMICS ECOSYSTEM GROWTH/YIELD
Benefit/ Cost
Unit Cost 1/
Featured Species
Resilience to Fire
Resilience to Insects &
Pathogens
Stand & Forest Health
Featured Species
Productivity Class
Tree/ Stand Phenotype
Density in Trees/ Acre
Management Objectives
Wildlife Habitat Needs
Management Objectives
Stand Differentiation
1/ Currently used by the Northern Region along with historical need to distribute TSI targets and funds. Unit cost is also a nationally driven issue.
Units will rank each stand or area using the appropriate activity to assign numerical values to each of these considerations. Mathematical accumulations will then be displayed by category on a stand/area ranking summary table. Ranger Districts must display unit costs and project size bounds in the summary of prioritized stands/areas when submitting them for budget and target allocation. Use of the linked spreadsheets is encouraged for efficency.
FUEL LADDERS
Resilience to Fire
Stand replacement potential within a nonreplacement fire regime and thinning/ understory vegetation removal/ pruning can mitigate?
Yes
........within a stand replacement fire regime and thinning/ understory vegetation removal/ pruning can mitigate?
Yes
No
* If No, then drop stand from consideration.
Point s
10
*
5
WL, PP, WBP
DF
Other
Featured Species * Point s
5
3
0

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Page 20 of 29
Management Area * Point s
-15 MINMA,NFNIL,RANGE,RDLES,SKI,
WATER,WLDNS
Other Mgmt Areas or
Wildland/Urban Interface
2
3
* TSMRS code Total Points

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Page 21 of 29
6.17 - Exhibit 01--Continued
PRECOMMERCIAL THINNING
ECOSYSTEM HEALTH
CONSIDERATIONS
Preferred Species
WL, PP, WP, WBP
LP
DF
Others
Point s
10
5
1
0
Resilience to Fire Point s
Stand replacement potential in a nonreplacement fire regime that thinning can mitigate?
Yes
No
5
0
Resilience to Insects &
Pathogens
Thinning retains species composition with
Point s resistance to target pests?
Yes 5
No 0
Stand/ Ecosystem Health Point s
Is thinning necessary to achieve desired stand conditions for the
Vegetation Response
Unit?
Yes
No
5
0
Resource Needs?
Point s
Wildlife Biologist deems stand requires thinning for
Threatened/Endangered
Species habitat or site factor?
Yes
Other resource
5 importance?
Visual, Access, etc. Yes
No
4
0
Crop Tree Crown Ratio Point s
<20%
20-70%
>70%
2
10
0
Management Area * Point s
SPREC, TM+
BGAMW, CAMPG,
5
3
ELKSU, MINMA,
OLDGR, RIPRN, RNA,
Others 0
Total Points
GROWTH & YIELD
CONSIDERATIONS
Preferred Species
Differentiation
Preferred species able to differentiate without thinning?
Points
Yes 1
No 10
Crop Tree Crown Ratio Point s
<30% 2
30-70%
>70%
10
0
Crop Tree Species
(major species * )
WL,PP, WP,
LP
DF, C, GF, et al
Point s
10
5
1
Crop Tree Age (year of
Origin * )
0-8
Point s
0

2409.17,6-6.17
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9-30
31-50
>51
5
3
0
BGAMW, CAMPG,
ELKSU, MINMA,
OLDGR, RIPRN, RNA,
Others
3
0
Crop Tree Height
(average in feet * )
<5
6-10
11-35
>36
Point s
0
1
4
2
Productivity (CMAI * ) Points
> 85
50-84
20-49
< 20
4
3
2
0
Management Area * Point s
SPREC, TM+ 5
6.17 - Exhibit 01--Continued
* TSMRS code Total Points
ECONOMIC
CONSIDERATIONS
Benefit/ Cost Ratio or Least Cost
Use Fred Stewart's
Point s analysis available mid
January.
>1.0 10
<1.0 2
Unit Cost *
Use absolute value
* TSMRS code Total Points
Project size may be an important consideration. Projects limited to a specfic acre size should be specified so that allocation can be efficiently made. Additionally, stand treatments should consider intermediate entries of other product removals to achieve thinning results. An example would be using post and pole removals within lodgepole pine dominated stands that would be accessible to prospective and traditional markets.
Fuel Ladders

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Page 23 of 29
Stand
No. or Area
Ran k
Pts
Acre s
Uni t
Cos t
Prioritizing Stand Treatments Page 8

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Page 24 of 29
6.17 - Exhibit 01--Continued
STAND SUMMARY TABLE or use linked spreadsheets
Activity
Ecosystem Management
Stand No. or Area
Rank
Pts Acres
Uni t
Cos t
Growth & Yield
Stand No. or Area
Rank
Pts Acres
Uni t
Cos t
UNIT SUMMARY TABLE
Stand No. or Area
Economics
Rank
Pts Acres
Uni t
Cos t
DISTRIC
T
1
2
3
4
5
6
Ladder
Acres
Unit
Cost
$/ acres
Progra m Size
Range
Acres
Thinni ng
Acres
Unit
Cost
$/ acres
Progra m Size
Range
Acres

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Prioritizing Stand Treatments Page 9

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Page 26 of 29
6.17 - Exhibit 01--Continued
APPENDIX B.
KOOTENAI NATIONAL FOREST
TSI RANKING SYSTEM
United States
Department of
Agriculture
Forest
Service
Kootenai NF
File Code:
Route To:
Subject:
2470
KNF TSI Project (Stand) Ranking System
506 US Highway 2
West
Libby, MT 59923
Date: April 14, 1988
To: District Silviculturists and Others
The following system is to be used to compare (prioritize) stands scheduled for Precommercial thinning (PCT) projects across the forest in relation to each other (Kootenai National Forest,
1996). Districts may find the above useful in developing (balancing, etc.) their programs. The intent of this ranking is to provide a means of selecting which projects to fund when limited dollars are available.
This comparison (ranking) will be made after the stand silvicultural prescription (Rx) has been completed to the diagnosis phase and a PCT is indicated. Actually filling out the ranking will only be required when projected budgets indicate a lack of funds to complete all the PCT projects for a given year. Direction provided in the task forces memo on what is required in the
Rx considers information needed to develop the ranking.
The final ranking is the result of totaling the individual category points. The higher the points, the higher the probability that the project will be selected. A rating of zero for any one item will generally be sufficient to eliminate a stand from treatment at the time of analysis.
This ranking system method is not intended to supplant the Rx but to provide a treatment prioritizing. As with any system we will find stands that rate low, but need treatment now. We will deal with this situation with the district silviculturist making a site specific presentation on why this stand (or type of condition) should be of higher priority than other stands.
As this is a new development I see us refining the process as we utilize same.
Al Corda
Forest Silviculturist
Prioritizing Stand Treatments Page 10

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Page 27 of 29
6.17 - Exhibit 01--Continued
APPENDIX B.
Continued
KOOTENAI NATIONAL FOREST
TSI RANKING SYSTEM
PRECOMMERCIAL THINNING PROJECT RATING GUIDE
STAND ID:
DATE:
Productivity (CMAI)
MCI (>85)
MCII (<84)
LP (>85)
LP (<84)
Crop Tree Species
(major)
Points
4
2
3
2
Points
11-35
>36
Intolerant
Tolerant
LP
Crop Tree Age (years)
0-8
9-30
31-50
>51
5
1
3
Points
0
3
2
0
Access?
Roaded (to stand)
<1/2 Mile Walk
1/2-1 Mile Walk
>1 Mile Walk
Crop Tree Crown Ratio
<30%
30-50%
>51%
<500
Stocking (TPA)
501-1000
1001-3000
3001-5000
>5001
Points
0
1
2
Points
0
1
2
3
5
Management Area
15
17
16
12
11
14
Others (*)
4
1
Points
3
2
1
0
Points
6
5
5
5
3
3
0
* Stands in nonsuitable MA's that are diagnosed for PCT are generally financed
<5
6-10
Crop Tree Height
(feet)
Points
0
1 with funds other than timber monies, thus targets are agreed to by the benefiting function (wildlife, recreation, etc.) and not part of this process.

TOTAL STAND RATING
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Prioritizing Stand Treatments Page 11
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